Written Answers Wednesday 26 January 2011

Scottish Executive

Air Services

Brian Adam (Aberdeen North) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the conclusions are of its review of the Air Discount Scheme.

Keith Brown: I am pleased to announce today that, following our review, the Scottish Government is now seeking the agreement of the European Commission for continuation of the Air Discount Scheme (ADS) from 1 April 2011 for a further four years.

  The ADS provides residents of Orkney, Shetland, the Western Isles, Islay, Jura, Caithness and North West Sutherland with a 40% discount on the price of their core airfares.

  Our analysis concluded that:

  Over three quarters of the population in the eligible areas are ADS members with around two thirds of those having taken advantage of discounted flights;

  Over 40% of member users fly more than before the scheme was introduced, nearly 50% fly with the same frequency and 3% are new flyers, and

  Those on higher incomes tend to use the scheme more frequently than those on lower incomes.

  Over the next four years, we believe that the scheme can and will make further progress. Whilst the tendency for those on higher incomes to use the scheme reflects a wider pattern in air travel, we will consider ways to improve take-up amongst those in the lower income bands in the interests of fully achieving the scheme’s social aims.

  With more general improvements in mind, our approach to the commission is also requesting the extension of the scheme to the people of Colonsay in recognition of the transport challenges they face. The Island now has an improved indirect link to Glasgow through the Colonsay/Islay air service and I am sure residents will warmly welcome this development.

  As a scheme designed to facilitate a better level of social inclusion for individuals in the eligible areas, it is not intended to extend to business-related claims. Ministers have decided that these claims will not attract the discount in future and will shortly be writing to the main public bodies and private sector organisations in the eligible areas to confirm this decision.

Alcohol Misuse

Marlyn Glen (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many bed days in NHS Tayside were associated with alcohol-related conditions in 2009-10.

Nicola Sturgeon: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-31621 on 9 March 2010. Data for 2008-09 are the latest available. Data for 2009-10 are due to be published on 22 February 2011.

  All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.

Central Heating

Patrick Harvie (Glasgow) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-27363 by Alex Neil on 24 September 2009, what the estimated carbon emissions reduction was of the operation of the Home Insulation Scheme in 2009-10 and how that reduction was calculated.

Alex Neil: Reports providing an overview of all Home Insulation Scheme activity, including in regard to estimates of emission reductions are published monthly on the Energy Saving Trust website http://www.energysavingtrust.org.uk .

  It is estimated that measures installed as a result of installations arising from 2009-10 budgets will achieve a reduction in carbon dioxide of 160,763 tonnes over the lifetime of the measures. Carbon dioxide savings are calculated using the Ofgem Carbon Emission Reduction Targets scheme submission calculator. The lifetime of measures is assumed to be 40 years.

Central Heating

Patrick Harvie (Glasgow) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-27362 by Alex Neil on 24 September 2009, what the total householder contribution was toward measures part-funded by the Home Insulation Scheme in 2009-10.

Alex Neil: It is estimated that householder contribution to measures provided under the 2009-10 Home Insulation Scheme are a minimum of £420,000.

Central Heating

Patrick Harvie (Glasgow) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-27361 by Alex Neil on 24 September 2009, what contributions have been made to the Home Insulation Scheme by (a) external bodies, including local authorities, power companies through the Carbon Emissions Reduction Target (CERT) or other means and (b) housing associations, broken down by value.

Alex Neil: Details are as follows:

  

External Body
Amount


Local councils
£1,234,8781


Energy companies (through CarbonEmissions Reduction Target)
£1,700,0002


Housing Associations
£0


Scottish Government –loans
£1,000,0003


Scottish Government – Energy Assistance Package Social Sector for insulation works
£87,000



  Notes:

  1. Based on returns from local councils. Includes cash estimates of in-kind contributions.

  2. Energy suppliers consider the amount of their spending to achieve their obligations under the CERT to be commercially confidential. Based on the assumptions on costs for measures provided by DECC, it is estimated that energy suppliers provided in the region of £1.7 million investment through CERT towards the cost of measures provided under the 2009-10 HIS programme.

  3. Scottish Government allocated £1 million for loan funding in HIS areas which is being promoted as part of the HIS offer. This is additional to the HIS 2009-10 budget.

Central Heating

Patrick Harvie (Glasgow) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive how many home visits home energy advisers had made under the Home Insulation Scheme by the end of 2009.

Alex Neil: Home energy advisers had visited 72,453 properties at least once by 31 December 2009 and completed 19,285 home energy checks. Reports providing an overview of all Home Insulation Scheme activity are published monthly on the Energy Saving Trust website:

  http://www.energysavingtrust.org.uk.

Central Heating

Patrick Harvie (Glasgow) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of materials used to insulate homes under the Home Insulation Scheme in 2009-10 was sourced from Scottish or Scotland-based manufacturers or suppliers and what these were.

Alex Neil: This information is not held centrally. Installers are contractually obliged to comply with British and European insulation standards and best practice guidelines.

Central Heating

Patrick Harvie (Glasgow) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of materials used to insulate homes through the Home Insulation Scheme in 2009-10 was (a) ethically sourced, (b) low carbon in production and supply and (c) reclaimed, reused or recycled and what these were.

Alex Neil: This information is not held centrally.

  The Home Insulation Scheme tendering process includes a requirement for installers to detail their policy and procedures relating to sustainability. In this section installers have provided confirmation of ISO14000 Environmental Management accreditation and in some cases "Ethical Trading and Human Rights policies" covering ethical trading and environmental impact. Installers are also contractually obliged to comply with British and European insulation standards and best practice guidelines.

  For example, Miller Pattison, the installer in four out of the 10 local council areas covered by the 2009-10 HIS programme, highlighted that 90% of their insulation is sourced from Superglass, based in Stirling. Superglass has stated that their blowing wool and loft quilt is made from at least 80% British sourced recycled glass.

  Patrick Harvie (Glasgow) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive how many new jobs were generated as a result of the Home Insulation Scheme in 2009-10 and how that number was calculated.

Alex Neil: The Home Insulation Scheme (HIS) programme funded by 2009-10 Budgets supported an estimated 228 jobs. It is not feasible to distinguish between existing jobs which would no longer have been supported without the scheme and new jobs created. It should be noted that this figure is in terms of direct employment only. The figure does not account for additional indirect employment due to the extra money in the local economy from wages nor job displacement due to the diversion of government investment from other sectors.

  The figure is derived from the number of people within the Energy Saving Trust directly employed to manage the project, together with full time equivalent jobs based within the Energy Saving Scotland Advice Centre network working specifically to deliver the HIS programme. This is taken together with an estimate of the number of jobs derived from installing measures based on delivery of insulation measures supported by activity under the 2009-10 Home Insulation Scheme budget, as achieved by 5 December 2010, including householder and Carbon Emissions Reduction Target (CERT) contributions. This is an estimate based on assumed costs because the actual costs are commercially confidential. The number of jobs linked to installations is derived from Energy Efficiency Partnership for Homes calculations which suggest that a market value of around £46,000 supports one job.

  Patrick Harvie (Glasgow) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive whether measures and safeguards were put in place to ensure that the external partners selected to help deliver the Home Insulation Scheme in 2009-10 were based close to the area in which the insulation work was undertaken and, if so, what those were.

Alex Neil: The appointment of Home Insulation Scheme (HIS) contractors followed a competitive procurement process – as required under EU rules given the scale of the scheme – to source the best deal possible for customers. The Energy Saving Trust, as managing agent, which conducted the procurement process, divided the contract into lots to allow organisations to tender to be the delivery partner for individual HIS areas. This provided opportunities for smaller installers, who could not bid for multiple areas, to bid for their local area if they wished.

  As a result, locally-based contractors were appointed as the sole nominated installers in Orkney and Glasgow.

  The most recent round of procurement also built in a requirement that bidders provide evidence of local knowledge and an ability to deliver in local areas.

  Other delivery partners are by definition local, including local authorities and the network of Energy Saving Scotland advice centres across Scotland and the doorstep energy assessors who are based in the areas where they work.

  Patrick Harvie (Glasgow) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive whether measures and safeguards were put in place to ensure that the external partners selected to help deliver the Home Insulation Scheme in 2009-10 were (a) based in Scotland and (b) employed Scottish workers and, if so, what these were.

Alex Neil: The Home Insulation Scheme is managed by the Energy Saving Trust from its Scottish office. While based in Scotland, as part of its policies on equal opportunities the Energy Saving Trust employs both Scottish workers and those of other nationalities.

  The appointment of Home Insulation Scheme contractors were required to follow a competitive procurement process under EU law.

Crofting

Tavish Scott (Shetland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive when it last instructed the Crofters Commission to amend the guidelines for applicants to the Croft House Grant Scheme; when the guidelines were amended; when the amended guidelines were made available to applicants, and when they were issued to the local area offices of the Scottish Government Rural Payments and Inspections Directorate.

Roseanna Cunningham: The Croft House Grant Scheme Guidance was last amended in August 2008. The amendment gave effect to a ministerial determination dating from December 2005 (the delay appears to have been an administrative oversight). The revised guidance was issued to the local area offices of the Scottish Government Rural Payments and Inspections Directorate and made available to applicants in August 2008.

  Tavish Scott (Shetland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what changes to the guidelines for applicants to the Croft House Grant Scheme it last instructed the Crofters Commission to make and what the reasons for them were.

Roseanna Cunningham: The last changes to the Croft House Grant Scheme Guidance were definitional in all but one respect. That related to a requirement for assisted new houses to have a minimum of three (previously two) bedrooms and one living area, in addition to the kitchen and bathroom. The reason for this was to add to the housing stock in the crofting areas for the benefit of future generations, rather than just for the needs of the occupant at the time financial assistance was sought.

Culture

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has received from Martin Hunt, the managing director of Tartan Silk, regarding compensation from The Gathering 2009 and what response it has given Mr Hunt.

Jim Mather: The Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Climate Change represented the Scottish Government at a meeting on 25 November 2010 attended by Martin Hunt at which Mr Hunt represented 11 of the creditors for The Gathering 2009 Ltd.

  At that meeting, and in a subsequent letter of 26 November 2010 to the Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Climate Change, Mr Hunt argued that because representatives of VisitScotland and EventScotland chaired a steering group relating to The Gathering event, those representatives were acting as shadow directors of the company, and that the Scottish Government therefore had an obligation to the creditors.

  Following careful consideration of the points made by Mr Hunt in the meeting and in his subsequent letter, I responded to Mr Hunt on 17 January 2011. In responding I set out a number of points of context, namely that The Gathering event was not conceived or commissioned by government or any of its partners, and accordingly, the company was not set up by government or any of its partners; and that the Steering Group established and chaired by EventScotland had a role to represent and reflect the interests of the various public sector funders and to monitor overall delivery, but that it did not have any decision-making responsibility in relation to the commercial activities of the company. My response stated that on this basis, the Scottish Government did not accept Mr Hunt’s central point that officials from EventScotland and VisitScotland were acting as shadow directors in relation to The Gathering 2009 Ltd by virtue of their involvement in the Steering Group.

  The response to Mr Hunt also reiterated that the government is sympathetic to the plight of the small businesses affected by the liquidation of The Gathering 2009 Ltd and pointed out that this was one of the reasons why the Scottish Government worked hard to find a solution once it first became aware of the financial difficulties the company was facing.

Economy

Gavin Brown (Lothians) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what impact it considers commodity price increases will have on the retail sector.

Jim Mather: An increase in commodity prices can increase both the cost of production and distribution across sectors in the economy however it is difficult to anticipate the exact nature of impact in the retail sector. For example, the implications will depend on the pricing strategies of individual retail firms and whether costs are absorbed in profit margins or passed to the consumer. In addition, there can be a time lag between increases in the cost of goods production and implications in the retail supply chain.

  Gavin Brown (Lothians) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what analysis it has conducted on the economic outlook for the retail sector in (a) 2011 and (b) 2012.

Jim Mather: The future prospects of the Scottish economy are summarised within the Scottish Government’s quarterly State of the Economy publication available at:

  http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Economy/state-economy/latestSofE.

  The latest version, published at the end of November 2010, observes on page 51 that should conditions in the Scottish labour market remain weak, this will lower income per household and therefore lower household consumption.

  In addition to such general analysis, the Scottish Government has commissioned an in-depth study of the contribution which the retail sector makes to the Scottish economy. The results of this study will be available by early March 2011.

Energy

Liam McArthur (Orkney) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what external technical advisors in energy and energy engineering it has used in the formulation of policy and what meetings it has had with them in the last 12 months.

Jim Mather: The Scottish Government works in partnership with industry, academia and the public sector in the formulation of energy policy. This includes regular meetings of the Scottish Energy Advisory Board (SEAB) and a network of themed advisory groups, the membership of which includes significant technical and engineering expertise, and which takes expert advice on specific technical and engineering issues as required. The membership, dates and minutes of all meetings of the SEAB, and advisory groups including the Forum for Renewable Energy Development in Scotland are published on the Scottish Government’s at:

  http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Business-Industry/Energy/resources/working-groups/energy-advisory-board/

  The Scottish government also leads, or is a partner in a number of collaborative projects which provide access to the work of technical experts from academia and industry. These include an EU working group on North Sea grid connections; the Irish-Scottish links in energy study and the GP wind project, which aims to develop good practice with European partners in order to reconcile objectives on renewable energy with wider environmental objectives.

  In addition, the Scottish Government commissions a range of technical and engineering consultants to carry out specific studies to help inform policy development. Recently, this has included an energy storage and management study, carried out by AEA Technology, which was published in November 2010.

Energy Efficiency

David Stewart (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what aspects of the Green Deal will impact on devolved matters.

Jim Mather: The aspects of the Green Deal which will impact on devolved matters that will be subject to the Legislative Consent Memorandum laid in the Parliament on 13 December 2010 are:

  Areas of the Green Deal (domestic and non-domestic) around energy efficiency which are devolved;

  Areas of the Energy Company Obligation around areas that are devolved, and

  In addition, there are also areas of the UK Energy Bill and subsequent Green Deal policy where Scottish Ministers will have powers to make regulations. For example, because energy performance certificates are different in Scotland, the disclosure provisions of the Green Deal in relation to the private and social rented sectors and for disclosure to home owners will require an "equivalent alternative approach" to ensure the framework regulations represent the Scottish interest.

  It has further been agreed that the UK Government will consult with, and require the consent of, Scottish Ministers prior to making any provisions that will affect Scotland. Our overall aim is to ensure that the Green Deal acts to support the Scottish Energy Efficiency Action Plan.

  David Stewart (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to implement or adapt any of the proposals in the Green Deal.

Jim Mather: The Green Deal is a UK Government led initiative and is expected to be delivered UK wide. In Scotland, delivery will differ to take account for devolved matters such as housing and building controls. We are working closely with UK Government colleagues to ensure that the policy being developed takes account of Scottish specific circumstances such as differing house types, location issues, climate etc, and acts to support the delivery of the Scottish Energy Efficiency Action Plan.

  David Stewart (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to hold policy consultations related to the introduction of the proposals in the Green Deal.

Jim Mather: Plans are currently underway for the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC), working with the Scottish Government, to deliver several stakeholder seminars in Scotland on the UK Energy Bill and the Green Deal. We see this as a first step of engagement and consultation to be held by DECC and the Scottish Government as the Green Deal policy rolls out. Scottish Government will also be consulting on areas of the policy that impact on devolved areas, during the course of the policy development.

  David Stewart (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive The Scottish Government has been working closely with the DECC on both the UK Energy Bill which when approved will give powers to develop the Green Deal policy, and the emerging policy work on the Green Deal policy. We have worked to ensure that the UK Bill reflects Scottish interests and that it recognises Scottish devolved areas. We are also engaged with officials in the development of the policy to ensure that Scotland can implement Green Deal in a manner that meets Scotland’s specific circumstances e.g. location, climate, house types etc. A particular priority for us is to ensure that the Green Deal acts to support the Scottish Energy Efficiency Action Plan. We have a member of Scottish Government staff working in DECC to assist with this process.

Jim Mather: The Scottish Government has been working closely with the DECC on both the UK Energy Bill which when approved will give powers to develop the Green Deal policy, and the emerging policy work on the Green Deal policy. We have worked to ensure that the UK Bill reflects Scottish interests and that it recognises Scottish devolved areas. We are also engaged with officials in the development of the policy to ensure that Scotland can implement the Green Deal in a manner that meets Scotland’s specific circumstances e.g. location, climate, house types etc. A particular priority for us is to ensure that the Green Deal acts to support the Scottish Energy Efficiency Action Plan. We have a member of Scottish Government staff working in DECC to assist with this process.

  David Stewart (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with energy or public utility companies regarding the proposals in the Green Deal.

Jim Mather: Policy development on the Green Deal is at an early stage and we are engaging and negotiating with the UK Government to ensure Scottish circumstances are recognised. We have had discussions with energy companies as part of the CERT (Carbon Emissions Reduction Target) Strategy Group where an overview of the policy was given and discussions on the impact on energy companies was explored. Further discussion, consultation and stakeholder engagement is likely to be carried out by the UK Government and Scottish Government as the policy develops.

Enterprise

Jeremy Purvis (Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment it has made of the number of jobs in construction and associated trades supported by investment from retailers since 2007.

Jim Mather: As with the UK and other developed economies, an estimate of the impact of business investment by specific sectors, such as retail, on other sectors of the economy is not carried out as part of any assessment of the economy. Business investment is however, an important driver of aggregate demand in the economy and is measured on that basis.

  Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what support it provides to inventors in relation to marketing their inventions.

Jim Mather: The Scottish Government recognises the importance of innovation as a key driver of long-term sustainable economic growth. Our focus is on creating a flexible, supportive business environment and we look to our enterprise agencies to deliver support for Scottish businesses and inventors, including help in the marketing of new inventions.

  The principle support for individual inventors is delivered through the Innovators Counselling and Advisory Service for Scotland, funded by the Scottish Government. This free confidential service provides specialist advice to inventors and small companies on how to develop and protect their inventions. This includes identifying markets, routes to market and introductions to marketing and design experts and potential buyers. This service currently helps over 1,000 inventors a year and over the last two years helped inventors develop over 215 products.

  Our enterprise agencies and business gateway provide a wide range of support to companies for the development of competitive products and services. For example, through Scottish Enterprise’s Winning Through Innovation seminars and workshops, innovators receive guidance on developing and launching new products and services. These workshops cover the complete process of developing a product from the initial research stage through to marketing and sales.

Environment

Patrick Harvie (Glasgow) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-38092 by Roseanna Cunningham on 21 December 2010, whether Scottish Natural Heritage considers the contribution that development proposals would make to increasing or decreasing greenhouse gas emissions when advising the Scottish Ministers on applications for planning consent.

Roseanna Cunningham: The Scottish Government currently seeks advice from Scottish Environment Protection Agency on the carbon impacts calculated by developers for applications for consent under section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989. Scottish Natural Heritage considers the broader implications of climate change and the need to generate renewable electricity when responding to consultations but does not routinely consider the effect that particular developments would have on greenhouse gas emissions.

  Sarah Boyack (Edinburgh Central) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what it considers to be the potential adverse impacts and benefits for biodiversity of the growth of the marine renewables industry.

Roseanna Cunningham: Marine renewables and offshore wind will make a significant contribution to our renewable energy targets and contribute to our wider environmental objectives, particularly in relation to climate change.

  The climate change benefits associated with marine renewables and offshore wind will benefit marine biodiversity as well as society and the environment more generally. It will provide Scotland with a better mix of sources of power by reducing dependence on fossil fuels. The development of a marine renewables and offshore wind industry will also contribute to economic growth, including significant potential for new sources of employment in coastal communities.

  The potential impacts for biodiversity are dependent on the design of wave, tidal and offshore wind projects, construction and operating plans, location of the proposed development and biodiversity features of interest. The potential impacts include habitat loss, disturbance of marine species, collision risk with marine species and barrier effects to migration of marine species. Developments also have the potential to provide artificial reefs, through the placement of manmade structures on the seabed.

  Sarah Boyack (Edinburgh Central) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to ensure that the planned growth of the marine renewables industry furthers the conservation of biodiversity.

Sarah Boyack (Edinburgh Central) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to ensure that the planned growth of marine renewables does not adversely affect European protected species or special areas of conservation.

Sarah Boyack (Edinburgh Central) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what correspondence it has had, or intends to have, with (a) the UK Government and (b) other EU member states regarding the potential for the planned growth of marine renewables to affect special areas of conservation and European protected species in the (i) UK territorial or marine area outside Scotland and (b) territory or marine area of other member states.

Roseanna Cunningham: The Scottish Government is taking a planned approach to the development of wave, tidal and offshore wind energy sectors in a sustainable manner. The Scottish Government undertook a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) to examine the wider environmental effects of wave and tidal power which was published on 31 March 2007.

  Marine Scotland proposes to undertake an SEA maintenance exercise to update the 2007 SEA. This will incorporate Habitats Regulations Appraisal to assess potential impacts on Special Areas of Conservation, and Special Protection Areas and to ensure that the requirements of the Habitats Directive are met. Proposed developments will also be subject to environmental impact assessment including Habitats Regulations Appraisal at the project level. The marine licensing process will also consider the potential for impacts on European protected species.

  The Scottish Government is also supporting a research programme on the environmental impacts of marine renewables to increase knowledge of the likelihood of potential impacts, provide a better baseline for environmental assessments and research mitigation strategies. Surveys have also been undertaken in the Pentland Firth to improve knowledge of the distribution of marine biodiversity features and inform licensing decisions.

  Sarah Boyack (Edinburgh Central) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what correspondence it has had, or intends to have, with the European Commission regarding the potential for the planned growth of marine renewables to affect special areas of conservation and European protected species.

Richard Lochhead: The Scottish Government regularly contributes to discussions with the European Commission, UK Government and EU member states on marine renewables and offshore wind energy issues. It contributed to the development of recently published EU Guidance on Wind Energy Developments and Natura 2000 and is represented on several UK groups including the UK Renewable Energy Deployment Environmental Issue Board.

  There has been no specific correspondence so far with the European Commission, UK Government and EU member states regarding the potential for marine renewable projects to affect special areas of conservation and European protected species. However, ongoing work on Habitats Regulation Appraisals and other environmental assessments provide the basis for consideration of these issues and discussions with relevant countries and the European Commission where necessary.

  The EU Guidance on Wind Energy Developments and Natura 2000 can be found via the following link http://ec.europa.eu/environment/nature/natura2000/management/guidance_en.htm.

  Sarah Boyack (Edinburgh Central) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how much installed offshore wind energy generating capacity it considers could be developed by (a) 2020, (b) 2030 and (c) in the longer term without adversely affecting the marine environment.

Richard Lochhead: A valuation of the UK’s offshore renewable resource, published in May 2010, estimated that Scotland has 169 Gigawatts (GW) of practical offshore wind resource.

  The Scottish Government also published a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) of the Draft Plan for Offshore Wind Energy in Scottish territorial waters for public consultation in May 2010. The SEA identified the potential for a likely significant effect on sites designated for their nature conservation interest at a European level. Accordingly, the Scottish Government is currently undertaking a Habitats Regulations Appraisal of the Draft Plan which will be complete by the end of January and will inform the preparation of the Final Plan for Offshore Wind. The Draft Plan proposed 10 short term options for development up to 2020 with a potential generation capacity of 6.5GW. The 10 short-term options have now been reduced to nine, due to irresolvable issues with radar impacts. The nine short-term options have a potential generation capacity of 5.8GW. The Draft Plan also proposed 25 areas of search, titled medium term options, for possible development beyond 2030. No generating capacity has been set for these areas of search and any possible areas in the longer term.

  In addition, we are aware that the Crown Estate has agreed leases for two Round 3 sites in the Moray Firth and the Firth of Forth, beyond the Scottish Territorial Water limit of 12 nautical miles. These sites have a potential to generate a combined capacity of 4.8GW by 2020. The Crown Estate is currently undertaking a Habitats Regulations Appraisal of the Round 3 sites.

  All offshore renewable energy projects are and will be subject to assessment under the relevant legislation to ensure that there is no adverse effect on European sites and species.

  Sarah Boyack (Edinburgh Central) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Scottish Marine and Freshwater Science Volume 1 No 18: Further Scottish Leasing Round (Saltire Prize Projects): Regional Locational Guidance published by Marine Scotland Science will be a material consideration in the determination of applications for relevant energy development made under the Electricity Act 1989.

Roseanna Cunningham: The Scottish Government does consider that the document referred to will be a material consideration in the determination of applications for relevant energy development made under the Electricity Act 1989.

  Sarah Boyack (Edinburgh Central) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers the Scottish Marine and Freshwater Science Volume 1 No 18: Further Scottish Leasing Round (Saltire Prize Projects): Regional Locational Guidance published by Marine Scotland Science to be a qualifying plan or programme in terms of section 5 of the Environmental Assessment (Scotland) Act 2005 and what the reasons are for its position on this matter.

Richard Lochhead: The purpose of this report is to collate baseline information relevant to the development process, to assist developers interested in competing for the Saltire Prize to identify and develop projects rapidly. As its primary purpose is the provision of baseline information, it is not considered to be a qualifying plan or programme under the Environmental Assessment (Scotland) Act 2005.

  The Scottish Government is currently undertaking an SEA Maintenance exercise in support of the preparation of the Marine Renewables Plan. The information contained in the report will be used in support of this maintenance exercise.

  Sarah Boyack (Edinburgh Central) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that a habitats regulations assessment of the Scottish Marine and Freshwater Science Volume 1 No 18: Further Scottish Leasing Round (Saltire Prize Projects): Regional Locational Guidance published by Marine Scotland Science is required and what the reasons are for its position on this matter.

Richard Lochhead: The purpose of this report is to collate baseline information relevant to the development process, to assist developers interested in competing for the Saltire Prize to identify and develop projects rapidly. As its primary purpose is the provision of baseline information, it is not considered to be a qualifying plan or project under the Conservation (Natural Habitats, &c.) Regulations 1994, as amended for Scotland, which implement the EC Habitats Directive.

Equalities

Johann Lamont (Glasgow Pollok) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether Etisal, the Scottish Government-sponsored event organised by the Scottish Islamic Foundation, took place in March 2010.

Alex Neil: The Scottish Government provided funding to assist the development of the IslamFest which incorporated both Etisal and Salaam Scotland. While the specific Etisal event did not take place, a series of cultural events to help tackle Islamophobia were delivered in March and April 2010 as an outcome of the IslamFest initiative.

  Johann Lamont (Glasgow Pollok) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Scottish Islamic Foundation submitted audited accounts to the Equality Unit for (a) 2009 and (b) 2010 and, if so, whether they were found to be satisfactory.

Alex Neil: Organisations in receipt of funding are obliged to provide the Scottish Government with accounting information as part of their standard grant conditions. In line with the Companies Act 2006, the Scottish Islamic Foundation were not obliged to produce audited accounts, but chose to do so for the 2008-09 financial year and provided them to the Scottish Government. The audited accounts, lodged in Companies House on 12 March 2010, included a qualification from the auditors, and any such qualifications need to be considered in relation to future planning and monitoring.

Fisheries

Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive when it plans to implement tenancy deposit schemes.

Alex Neil: Regulations for the approval of tenancy deposit schemes in Scotland were laid before Parliament on 21 January 2011.

  The regulations are subject to affirmative procedure. If passed by Parliament, this will enable potential scheme providers to submit proposals for tenancy deposit schemes to ministers.

  Until proposals are received, it is not possible to predict an exact date when an approved scheme will be operational.

  Richard Baker (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when it last met the Salmon and Trout Association and what matters were discussed.

Richard Lochhead: Officials are in regular contact with the Salmon and Trout Association on a range of issues.

  Richard Baker (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what obligations Marine Scotland has under the Aquaculture and Fisheries (Scotland) Act 2007 to publish details of inspection reports on salmon farms, in particular relating to (a) sea lice infestations and (b) fish escapes.

Richard Lochhead: There is no legal obligation under the terms of the Aquaculture and Fisheries (Scotland) Act 2007 to publish the details of any inspections carried out. The Scottish Government is currently discussing the detail of a scheme to publish the results of inspections carried out under the act.

  Richard Baker (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when it last met the Scottish Salmon Producers’ Organisation (SSPO) and what matters were discussed.

Richard Lochhead: The last meeting with the SSPO took place in Perth on 11 January 2011 to discuss issues involving the use of wrasse for the biological control of sea lice infestations on populations of Atlantic salmon in aquaculture facilities. The discussion was wide ranging and included the sources of wrasse available to Scottish fish farmers, acceptable strategies for their use, biosecurity and fish health issues and whether current fish health legislation controlled their use and movement.

  Richard Baker (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what impact the Usan Ness mixed stock netting station immediately south of Montrose is having on individual river stocks.

Richard Lochhead: The impact of netting on individual river stocks depends on the composition of the catch in the fishery and the status of river stocks that are being exploited. Data on the precise stock composition of catches at individual netting stations such as the Usan Ness station in the Esk Salmon Fishery District is not collected. However, Marine Scotland is currently considering the likely effect of new conservation measures proposed for the River South Esk by the Esk District Salmon Fishery Board.

  Richard Baker (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on mixed stock fisheries and what impact such fisheries have on individual river stocks.

Richard Lochhead: The Scottish Government has its approach to mixed stock fisheries under consideration in the light of the report of the Mixed Stock Salmon Fisheries Working Group published last year. A copy of the report can be found on the Scottish Government website at:

  http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2010/03/31154416/0.

  The accepted international definition of a mixed stock fishery (MSF) for wild Atlantic salmon is "a fishery exploiting a significant number of salmon from two or more river stocks". While fisheries by any method inside estuaries may be MSFs, those located outside estuaries are almost certainly MSFs.

  In 2009, the annual catch of the coastal fixed engine net fisheries was the lowest since records began in 1952, and was 3% of the maximum reported catch. Reported effort in the fixed engine net fisheries was also the lowest on record at 3% of the maximum reported.

  All salmon fisheries in Scotland are operated under private heritable titles. All those with a legal right to fish have the ability to exercise that right in accordance with the law, including the provisions for conservation measures in the Salmon and Freshwater Fisheries (Consolidation) (Scotland) Act 2003.

  Richard Baker (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to preserve natural salmon stocks.

Richard Lochhead: Through a strategic partnership with the Rivers and Fisheries Trusts of Scotland and its network of 25 member trusts over the last three years this Government has invested £1.2 million directly into the preparation of modern, up-to-date fishery management plans covering approximately 95% of mainland Scotland, the Outer Hebrides and Skye. Our investment has supported 150 individual projects proposed and implemented by fisheries trusts to deliver on local plan priorities. This includes a dedicated and specialist resource undertaking genetic analysis programmes to inform local fisheries management activities in partnership with Marine Scotland’s Freshwater Laboratory. In addition, there are ongoing Marine Scotland, Scottish Natural Heritage and Scottish Environment Protection Agency science and research programmes and projects which are aimed at ensuring sustainable fisheries for Atlantic salmon throughout Scotland, providing significant economic and social benefits for its people.

  Richard Baker (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on the award of a £100,000 European grant to sustain operations at Usan Salmon Fisheries Ltd and what impact it considers that this will have.

Richard Lochhead: Usan Salmon Fisheries Ltd has the right to fish for wild salmon and sea trout by net in the near coastal waters in accordance with law.

  The business made an application for grant support from the European Fisheries Fund (EFF) programme towards an on-shore pre-fabricated building for the repair and maintenance of nets and other gear. The facility is designed to improve working conditions and the health and safety of the business’ employees, not to increase the level of exploitation of salmon stocks. The application was assessed in the normal way against the published criteria and was recommended for an award by the Scottish EFF Project Assessment Committee, which has internal and external membership. Information on the EFF scheme criteria, application forms and guidance notes, as well as information on all awards of grant, are available from the EFF website.

Health

Jim Hume (South of Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on the recently published Scottish Good Practice Statement on ME-CFS and the Health Care Needs Assessment of Services for people living with ME-CFS and the impact that these publications will have on NHSScotland.

Jim Hume (South of Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will instruct NHS boards to implement the recommendations in the Scottish Good Practice Statement on ME-CFS and the Health Care Needs Assessment of Services for people living with ME-CFS.

Nicola Sturgeon: The Scottish Good Practice Statement and its supporting documents were developed over a period of more than five years, and a wide range of clinicians, people with ME-CFS and voluntary sector organisations were involved in the process. In our view, the documents blend the clinical effectiveness evidence with evidence drawn from the experience of those living with the condition. They also exemplify the principles of empathy and working in partnership with patients that are at the heart of our approach to all long-term conditions management.

  The Good Practice Statement has been formally endorsed by the Royal College of General Practitioners Scotland and the Scottish Neurosciences Council, and is expected to help ensure that people living with ME-CFS get better and more consistent standards of care, including quicker and more reliable diagnosis. The documents were issued, under cover of a letter from the Chief Medical Officer, to NHSScotland on 18 November 2010.

  We are currently considering how best to take forward the three-tier service model described in the needs assessment of ME-CFS that we commissioned from the Scottish Public Health Network. As the first stage in the process, the Scottish Government Health Directorates are discussing implementation with a range of bodies representing clinicians and NHS managers. Once we have their views, we will be better able to offer guidance to NHS boards on the most effective ways in which the service model can be put in place.

  Dr Richard Simpson (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what (a) inspection is undertaken and (b) regulations there are on the application of standards for treating chronic obstructive pulmonary disease with regard to (i) accessibility to and (ii) the regular programming of pulmonary rehabilitation.

Nicola Sturgeon: The NHS Quality Improvement Scotland (NHS QIS) clinical standards for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) apply to all NHS boards in Scotland with responsibility for delivering COPD services. We expect NHS boards’ Respiratory Managed Clinical Networks (MCNs) to use the standards, and the associated evaluation tool, to monitor and assess performance against the standards.

  Promotion of pulmonary rehabilitation services is widely recognised as the most significant aspect of the standards, and is therefore one of the main focuses of the NHS QIS implementation programme. To assist boards with this, NHS QIS has arranged a national event on 22 February 2011 at which it will demonstrate the web-based pulmonary rehabilitation electronic resource it has been developing.

  Dr Richard Simpson (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to collect Scottish Patients At Risk of Readmission and Admission data in relation to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Nicola Sturgeon: Information on Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is already included as one of 16 long term conditions in the current Scottish Patients At Risk of Readmission and Admission (SPARRA) output.

  Regular use of SPARRA data informs multi-disciplinary, multi-agency team discussions and helps identify people who could benefit from a care management approach, or whose care plan might require re-assessment. SPARRA data are also being used to help identify appropriate interventions for people living with COPD, for example by referring them for pulmonary rehabilitation.

  Marlyn Glen (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the average cost was of a consultant outpatient attendance in 2009-10.

Nicola Sturgeon: The average cost of a consultant outpatient attendance at an NHSScotland location in the financial year 2009-10 was £126.

  John Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with NHS Lanarkshire regarding the removal of community X-ray facilities in Coatbridge and Cumbernauld.

Nicola Sturgeon: Scottish Government officials remain in close contact with all NHS boards and ministers have been fully briefed on the issue of community radiology services in Lanarkshire. Due to its age, the equipment in Cumbernauld and in Kilsyth can no longer be covered by maintenance contracts. The safety of patients is absolutely paramount, and it would be in breach of national standards if any board was to continue to use equipment in those circumstances. As a result, patients from Cumbernauld and Kilsyth are being referred to the radiology department at Monklands Hospital. That will continue until a full review of radiology services has been completed by the NHS board.

  No final decisions on the overall review have yet been taken but, as always, I expect the NHS board to progress any proposal for permanent change with the full involvement of patients, the public and other stakeholders. If such a proposal was deemed to constitute major service change, formal public consultation and, ultimately, ministerial approval would be required.

Housing

Jim Tolson (Dunfermline West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how many empty residential properties have been identified in 2010 in the (a) public and (b) private sector in each local authority area

Alex Neil: There were a total of 70,320 empty properties in Scotland in September 2010. A breakdown of this figure by local authority area is shown in table 1.

  It is not possible to break this 70,320 figure down by private and public sector. However, data on empty properties in the social sector are collected separately and show that In March 2010 there were 18,743 empty dwellings in the social sector - 9,756 local authority and 8,987 housing association. A breakdown of these figures by local authority area is shown in table 2.

  As the total number of empty properties and the number of empty properties in the social sector are collected at different times and in different ways it is not possible to provide data on the number of empty properties in the private sector in each local authority.

  Table 1 - Number of Empty Properties in Scotland 2010, by Local Authority Area

  

 
 All2


 Scotland
 70,320 


 Aberdeen City
 2,210 


 Aberdeenshire
 3,782 


 Angus
 2,489 


 Argyll and Bute
 1,447 


 Clackmannanshire1
 387 


 Dumfries and Galloway
 2,175 


 Dundee City
 4,187 


 East Ayrshire
 1,227 


 East Dunbartonshire
 655 


 East Lothian
 937 


 East Renfrewshire
 463 


 Edinburgh, City of
 5,151 


 Eilean Siar
 916 


 Falkirk
 1,188 


 Fife
 4,271 


 Glasgow City
 10,824 


 Highland
 3,659 


 Inverclyde
 2,299 


 Midlothian
 661 


 Moray
 1,769 


 North Ayrshire
 2,087 


 North Lanarkshire
 2,308 


 Orkney Islands
 448 


 Perth and Kinross
 1,923 


 Renfrewshire 1
 1,365 


 Scottish Borders
 2,701 


 Shetland Islands
 625 


 South Ayrshire
 1,224 


 South Lanarkshire
 3,486 


 Stirling
 1,088 


 West Dunbartonshire
 1,137 


 West Lothian
 1,231 



  Source – Council Tax data base.

  Notes:

  1. These councils are unable to distinguish between second homes and long term empty properties (where councils cannot distinguish between Second Homes and long term empty figures are included in Second Homes).

  2. Data at 30 September.

  Table 2 – Number of Empty Social Sector Properties in 2010, by Local Authority Area

  

 
 Local Authority3
 Housing Association3
 All Social Sector3


 Scotland
 9,756
 8,987
 18,743


 Aberdeen City
 296
 44
 340


 Aberdeenshire
 176
 62
 238


 Angus
 253
 92
 345


 Argyll and Bute
 na
 139
 139


 Clackmannanshire 
 50
 17
 67


 Dumfries and Galloway
 na
 269
 269


 Dundee City
 1,809
 258
 2,067


 East Ayrshire
 367
 41
 408


 East Dunbartonshire
 53
 148
 201


 East Lothian
 50
 23
 73


 East Renfrewshire
 65
 17
 82


 Edinburgh, City of
 1,016
 277
 1,293


 Eilean Siar
 na
 29
 29


 Falkirk
 568
 49
 617


 Fife
 1,010
 71
 1,081


 Glasgow City
 na
 4,855
 4,855


 Highland
 186
 96
 282


 Inverclyde
 na
 1,298
 1,298


 Midlothian
 88
 27
 115


 Moray
 50
 25
 75


 North Ayrshire
 162
 19
 181


 North Lanarkshire
 504
 115
 619


 Orkney Islands
 39
 2
 41


 Perth and Kinross
 129
 20
 149


 Renfrewshire 
 692
 169
 861


 Scottish Borders
 na
 370
 370


 Shetland Islands
 44
 18
 62


 South Ayrshire
 155
 25
 180


 South Lanarkshire
 651
 83
 734


 Stirling
 282
 10
 292


 West Dunbartonshire
 744
 225
 969


 West Lothian
 317
 94
 411



  Source – Housing Statistics Annual Return and Annual Performance and Statistical Return.

  Note: 3. Data at 31 March.

  Jim Tolson (Dunfermline West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how many empty residential properties (a) have been and (b) are waiting to be assessed for suitability for return to use as homes in each local authority area.

Alex Neil: The Scottish Government does not hold information centrally on how many private sector or local authority residential properties have been, or are waiting to be, assessed for suitability for return to use as homes.

  However, the number of registered social landlord (RSL) properties waiting to be assessed for return to use is recorded annually through the Annual Performance and Statistical Return (APSR) and the figures for the latest year are shown in Table 1 by local authority area.

  Table 1: Empty RSL Properties Waiting to be Assessed for Return to use at 31 March 2010, by Local Authority Area

  

 Authority Name
 Empty Properties Waiting to be Assessed for Return


 Aberdeen City
 19


 Aberdeenshire
 1


 Angus
 34


 Argyll and Bute
 46


 City of Edinburgh
 93


 City of Glasgow
 286


 Clackmannanshire
 2


 Dumfries and Galloway
 17


 Dundee City
 84


 East Ayrshire
 0


 East Dunbartonshire
 6


 East Lothian
 4


 East Renfrewshire
 3


 Falkirk
 4


 Fife
 7


 Highland
 0


 Inverclyde
 297


 Midlothian
 9


 Moray
 11


 North Ayrshire
 1


 North Lanarkshire
 35


 Orkney Islands
 2


 Perth and Kinross
 2


 Renfrewshire
 75


 Scottish Borders
 160


 Shetland Islands
 18


 South Ayrshire
 1


 South Lanarkshire
 39


 Stirling
 3


 West Dunbartonshire
 18


 West Lothian
 1


 Western Isles
 11


 All Scotland
 1,289



  Source – APSR.

  Jim Tolson (Dunfermline West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how many empty (a) public and (b) private sector residential properties have been returned to use as homes in 2010 in each local authority area.

Alex Neil: The number of empty properties returned to use as homes in the public and private sector in each local authority area is not held centrally.

Justice

Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what documents were released by the police, the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service or the court to the press or public in connection with the prosecution of Her Majesty’s Advocate v Thomas Sheridan and Gail Sheridan.

Frank Mulholland: The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service made the following documents available to the media for use in the event that Thomas Sheridan was found guilty.

  These were:

  i. Barbara Scott’s handwritten notes from 9 November 2004 meeting;

  ii. Typed draft minute of 9 November 2004 meeting;

  iii. Photograph of Thomas Sheridan and others at his wedding;

  iv. Photograph of diary entries for week 27 September 2002.

  v. Copy transcript of the McNeillage tape (released during the trial to assist the media in following the evidence).

  This material was led in evidence and was the subject of a request by the media. This request was considered and approved by Crown Counsel.

NHS Hospitals

Marlyn Glen (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) inpatient and day case episodes and (b) new and return outpatient attendances there have been in NHS Tayside in each year since 2007-08.

Nicola Sturgeon: Information on (a) inpatient and day case episodes and (b) new and return outpatient attendances in NHS Tayside for financial years ending 31 March 2001 to 2010 is published on the Information Services Division (ISD) website at:

  Inpatients and Day Cases: http://www.isdscotland.org/isd/4066.html

  Outpatients: http://www.isdscotland.org/isd/4156.html.

  The number of inpatient and day case episodes are provided in table 1 and the number of new and return outpatient attendances are provided in table 2 for NHS Tayside for financial year 2007-08 to 2009-10.

  Table 1: Number of Inpatient and Day Cases for NHS Tayside from All Acute Specialties for the Financial Year 2007-08 to 2009-10

  

 Patient Type
 Financial Year


 2007-08
 2008-09
 2009-10P


 All Patient Types
 96,127
 101,971
 96,266


 Day Cases
 21,279
 22,021
 16,617


 Elective Inpatients
 17,709
 18,978
 18,666


 Emergency Inpatients
 44,707
 46,415
 46,083


 Transfers
 12,432
 14,557
 14,900



  P2009-10 data is provisional.

  Table 2: Number of New and Return Outpatient Attendances for NHS Tayside for All Specialties (Excluding Accident and Emergency) for the Financial Years 2007-08 to 2009-10

  

 Indicator
 Financial Year


 2007-08
 2008-09
 2009-10P


 New Outpatient Attendances
 119,500
 131,300
 132,747


 Return Outpatient Attendances
 309,382
 319,182
 310,644


 Total Attendances
 428,882
 450,482
 443,391



  P2009-10 data is provisional.

  Marlyn Glen (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many attendances there have been at nurse-led clinics for acute specialities in NHS Tayside, broken down by (a) new and (b) total attendances in each year since 2007-08.

Nicola Sturgeon: Information on the number of attendances at nurse-led clinics for acute specialities in NHS Tayside, broken down by (a) new and (b) total attendances for financial years ending 31 March 2007 to 2010 is published on the Information Services Division (ISD) website at:

  http://www.isdscotland.org/isd/4453.html.

  Please note that this data is developmental and should be treated with caution.

  The number of attendances at nurse-led clinics for NHS Tayside for acute specialties is provided in the following table.

  Number of attendances at nurse-led clinics for NHS Tayside for acute specialties for financial years 2007-08 to 2009-10

  

 Indicator
 Financial Year


 2007-08
 2008-09
 2009-10


 New Attendances
 11,574
 13,260
 14,927


 Total Attendances
 58,608
 71,365
 105,363

NHS Hospitals

Marlyn Glen (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many procedures have been performed in acute specialities in NHS Tayside broken down by (a) inpatients and (b) day cases, in each year since 2007-08.

Nicola Sturgeon: The following table shows the total number of inpatient and day case procedures performed in NHS Tayside for the financial years ending 31 March 2008 to 2010.

  Number of Inpatient and Day Case Procedures Performed in NHS Tayside, Financial Years 2007-08 to 2009-10

  

 
 Financial Year


 NHS Tayside
 2007-08
 2008-091
 2009-101


 Inpatients
 67,811
 35,253
 34,250


 Day Cases
 23,034
 23,688
 21,071


 Total 
 90,845
 58,941
 55,321



  Source: ISD Scotland (SMR01).

  Note: 1. It should be noted that from the 1 April 2008, it was no longer mandatory to record interventions/procedures (such as imaging, injections, infusions, x-rays etc) unless the patient is specifically admitted for this purpose.

  Marlyn Glen (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many attendances there have been at each NHS Tayside accident and emergency centre in each year since 2007-08.

Nicola Sturgeon: The number of attendances (new and unplanned returns) from July 2007 to September 2010 for each accident and emergency department in NHS Tayside are provided in the following table. The number of monthly attendances at each accident and emergency department across Scotland is published quarterly and can be viewed at:

  http://www.isdscotland.org/isd/4024.html.

  Prior to 1 July 2007 information for accident and emergency attendances was collected centrally from the ISD monthly aggregate return ISD(S)1 but is only published at NHS Board level at:

  http://www.isdscotland.org/isd/4156.html.

  A new data collection system was introduced from 1 July 2007 which provides information on attendances on all accident and emergency departments. Accident and emergency departments are classified as either core or non-core sites. Core sites include all accident and emergency departments within large hospitals. Non-core sites include minor injury units, small hospitals with manual systems and health centres in rural areas that carry out accident and emergency type activity. The information provided in the table covers the periods: 1 July 2007 to 31 March 2008; the full year periods for 2008-09 and 2009-10; and for 1 April 2010 to 30 September 2010.

  Total Number of Attendances at Accident and Emergency Departments in NHS Tayside for Financial Years 2007-08 to 2010-11

  

 
 Financial Year


 Accident and Emergency Department
 2007-08*
 2008-09
 2009-10
 2010-11P


 Ninewells Hospital
 35,500
 48,646
 48,045
 25,079


 Perth Royal Infirmary
 18,737
 24,854
 24,927
 13,602


 Arbroath Infirmary
 6,578
 9,045
 13,394
 7,451


 Blairgowrie Community Hospital
 1,349
 1,906
 3,054
 1,659


 Brechin Infirmary
 1,482
 1,748
 3,374
 1,827


 Cottage Hospital, Aberfeldy
 -
 6
 202
 52


 Crieff Community Hospital
 -
 938
 2,598
 1,229


 Links Health Centre, Montrose
 3,431
 3,914
 7,343
 3,876


 Pitlochry Community Hospital
 443
 628
 1,324
 908


 St Margaret’s Hospital
 - 
 8
 319
 196


 Whitehills Health and Community Care Centre
 3,809
 4,027
 6,999
 3,900



  PDates are complete to September 2010.

  Source: Accident and emergency data mart, ISD Scotland.

  Note: * Data are from July 2007.

  Marlyn Glen (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the average cost was of an acute occupied bed day in 2009-10.

Nicola Sturgeon: The average cost of an acute occupied bed day in an NHSScotland hospital in the financial year 2009-10 was £595.

  Marlyn Glen (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the average cost was of an attendance at an accident and emergency unit in 2009-10.

Nicola Sturgeon: The average cost of an attendance at an NHSScotland hospital providing accident and emergency consultant-led outpatient care in the financial year 2009-10 was £107.

NHS Staff

Dr Richard Simpson (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the cost of redundancies was in replacing the GPASS system.

Nicola Sturgeon: There have been no redundancies linked to the GPASS replacement. GPASS remains operational until March 2012. National Services Scotland (NSS) are working closely with the Trade Unions and the Scottish Government to identify opportunities for suitable alternative employment within NSS and NHSScotland. There is an ongoing commitment to no compulsory redundancies in NHSScotland.

National Health Service

Dr Richard Simpson (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the information standards applied in NHSScotland for IT are the same as those of the NHS Information Standards Board in England.

Nicola Sturgeon: Some of the information standards in use in Scotland are the same as those promoted by the NHS Information Standards Board in England. These include ones widely recognised in the health sector such as the International Statistical Classification of Diseases (ICD10), which is developed by the World Health Organization, and has been adopted by numerous systems and organisations in NHSScotland.

  Dr Richard Simpson (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Systematised Nomenclature of Medicine-Clinical Terms, READv2 and CTv3 computerised languages are the only ones approved as standard in NHSScotland IT.

Nicola Sturgeon: READv2 has been adopted for use in a number of IT systems in NHSScotland. For example, it was a requirement of the recently let national framework contract for the General Practice IT (GPIT) systems. The Systematised Nomenclature of Medicine - Clinical Terms (SNOMED - CT) is emerging as the standard preferred by suppliers of clinical IT systems, and is also built into the products purchased to support GPIT and the Patient Management System. Given the likely scale of adoption of this standard by the industry, the eHealth Programme will be considering its approval as a standard for use in NHSScotland.

  Dr Richard Simpson (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what information standards are (a) current and (b) in development in NHSScotland.

Nicola Sturgeon: Information standards are developed by various groups within NHS Scotland within a specific area of interest. Information standards will generally be published by the groups that create and maintain them. A comprehensive list of information standards that are current or in development by NHS Scotland is not currently maintained. The eHealth Programme has instituted a process for agreeing standards and these will be published by the eHealth Design Authority. New standards will go through this process and progressively other standards in use in use in NHSScotland will be re-validated through it to provide a comprehensive list of approved standards.

  Dr Richard Simpson (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what non-approved information standards are in use in NHSScotland.

Nicola Sturgeon: All information standards that have been adopted within in NHS Scotland will have been approved through the relevant governance channel for the IT system in question.

  Dr Richard Simpson (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how information standards are approved for use in NHSScotland.

Nicola Sturgeon: Standards have previously been adopted by the projects and services that require them. The eHealth Programme have now instituted a process for agreeing standards and they will be published by the eHealth Design Authority. New standards will go through this process and progressively other standards in use in NHSScotland will be re-validated through it to provide a comprehensive list of approved standards.

  Dr Richard Simpson (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what mechanism is used to ensure that NHS IT procurement complies with approved information standards.

Nicola Sturgeon: Each major project will identify the information standards that are necessary for the IT systems to deliver the desired outcomes. The eHealth Design Authority will report to the eHealth Programme Board on compliance in their advice on business cases.

Planning

Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive which neighbouring owners of land require to be notified about planning applications.

Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on the adequacy of the 20-metre limit for notifying neighbours of a planning application.

Roseanna Cunningham: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-38485 on 20 January 2011. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at:

  http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.

Prison Service

David Whitton (Strathkelvin and Bearsden) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects the first prisoners to arrive at the replacement prison at Low Moss.

Kenny MacAskill: I have asked John Ewing, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service, to respond. His response is as follows:

  The first intake of prisoners is expected to be in the spring of 2012.

Procurement

Bill Butler (Glasgow Anniesland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what advice it has issued to local authorities and other public bodies in relation to fair trade in procurement.

John Swinney: Guidance on fair trade and procurement was issued by the Scottish Government to local authorities and the wider public sector in October 2009 as part of the Scottish Sustainable Procurement Action Plan. The advice explains the scope for encouraging and supporting fair trade products in public procurement whilst still complying with procurement legislation.

  Support for fair trade is one of the key elements of the Scottish Government’s international development policy. As such, the Scottish Government provides core funding to the Scottish Fair Trade Forum to drive forward the campaign to make Scotland a fair trade nation and encourages the use of fair trade products, such as those covered by the Fairtrade scheme. Fairtrade or ethically traded products (including tea, coffee, sugar, juice and snacks) are available in all of the staff restaurants across the Scottish Government estate. In addition, Fairtrade tea, coffee and sugar are used as standard hospitality for meetings.

Renewable Energy

Michael Matheson (Falkirk West) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what its response is to the report, A Community and Landowner Renewable Energy Loan Fund , by the Scottish Agricultural College.

Jim Mather: The Scottish Government welcomes the report and notes how such a fund could help deliver its objectives for increased local ownership of energy by communities and rural enterprises. Proposals for funding a community renewables loan scheme are included in the Budget Bill and we are currently considering how the scheme might be extended to provide access to land managers.

  Sarah Boyack (Edinburgh Central) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment will be made of the environmental effects of projects before they are considered eligible for funding from the National Renewables Infrastructure Fund.

Jim Mather: Applications for funding through the National Renewables Infrastructure Fund will be considered by Scottish Enterprise (SE) and Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE). SE and HIE both require that projects obtain the necessary planning consents prior to the provision of funding. This will include environmental impact assessment of projects, where it is required.

  A Strategic Environmental Assessment of the National Renewables Infrastructure Plan has been undertaken in accordance with the Environmental Assessment (Scotland) Act 2005. The results may be used by the site owners when progressing their site-specific proposals.

  Sarah Boyack (Edinburgh Central) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of the National Renewables Infrastructure Fund will be made available to assist developers in avoiding damage to the natural environment.

Jim Mather: The National Renewables Infrastructure Fund is being administered by Scottish Enterprise (SE) and Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE). Where funding is provided by SE or HIE to support infrastructure projects these will have been subject to the relevant consenting processes to ensure environmental impacts are addressed.

  Sarah Boyack (Edinburgh Central) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what it considers the (a) status and (b) role of the National Renewables Infrastructure Plan will be in relation to (i) decisions on planning applications, (ii) the preparation of development plans, (iii) decisions on applications under section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989 and (iv) marine planning.

Jim Mather: The National Renewables Infrastructure Plan (N-RIP) Stage 1 and 2 reports identify Scotland’s key locations that can support the development of a globally competitive offshore renewables industry. The reports set out the indicative infrastructure requirements and associated economic returns that could be generated. All projects associated with N-RIP will be required to follow planning and/or consenting procedures, including consents under the Harbours Act and/or the Town and Country Planning Act, and (in future) dredging licences under the Marine (Scotland) Act where dredging may be proposed.

  In respect of planning, the National Marine Plan will take cognisance of the N-RIP. Scottish Government officials will also be working closely with planning authorities to ensure that N-RIP objectives are taken into account in the preparation of main issues reports and development plans.

Scottish Enterprise

Bill Butler (Glasgow Anniesland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-37987 by Jim Mather on 22 December 2010, when it expects the chief executive of Scottish Enterprise to provide the information requested.

Jim Mather: I understand that the Chief Executive of Scottish Enterprise wrote to the member on the 17 January 2011 in response to the question on the provision of private medical care to Scottish Enterprise staff.

Small Businesses

Gavin Brown (Lothians) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many meetings of the Small Business Consultative Group took place in (a) 2005, (b) 2006, (c) 2007, (d) 2008, (e) 2009 and (f) 2010.

Jim Mather: Details of meetings of the Small Business Consultative Group between 2005 and 2010 are listed in the following table:

  

 Year
 Number
 Dates


 2005
 2
 12 April; 27 September


 2006
 3
 30 January; 22 May; 26 September


 2007
 2
 16 January; 2 October


 2008
 1
 12 May


 2009
 1
 11 May


 2010
 1
 9 June



  On 6 January 2009, the business membership of the group proposed moving to annual meetings. The Scottish Government accepted that proposal recognising that the National Economic Forum, the Business in Parliament conference and a range of other meetings and events also provide substantive opportunities to work together to optimise support for small businesses.

  During the period May 2007 to January 2010 in addition to many one to one meetings with small businesses we also conducted many sessions with small business addressing specific issues such as regulation, procurement and recruitment of skilled people.

  Gavin Brown (Lothians) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive when it last conducted the Annual Survey of Small Businesses’ Opinions.

Jim Mather: The latest Annual Survey of Small Businesses’ Opinions (2007-08) was conducted between November 2007 and February 2008.

  In addition that frequent mind-mapping sessions held between 2007 and 2011 have kept ministers informed of small business opinion and also insured that small business have become even more closely connected with local government, public agencies, regulators, government and each other.

Smoking

Stuart McMillan (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many shops have failed test purchasing for selling tobacco products since 2003, broken down by local authority.

Shona Robison: This information is not held centrally. However, the information has been routinely collected by the Society for Chief Officers for Trading Standards in Scotland (SCOTSS) from 1 April 2008. The information is shown in the following table.

  Breakdown of Tobacco Test Purchasing Failures per Authority between 1 April 2008 and 30 September 2010.

  

 Local Authority
 First Failure
 Second Failure
 Total


 Aberdeen City
 35
 7
 42


 Aberdeenshire
 8
 2
 10


 Angus
 20
 4
 24


 Argyll and Bute
 40
 0
 40


 Comhairle nan Eilean Siar
 0
 0
 0


 Clackmannanshire
 8
 1
 9


 Dumfries and Galloway
 14
 0
 14


 Dundee
 15
 0
 15


 East Ayrshire
 8
 0
 8


 East Dunbartonshire
 9
 0
 9


 East Lothian
 12
 0
 12


 East Renfrewshire
 15
 2
 17


 Edinburgh
 68
 3
 71


 Falkirk
 0
 0
 0


 Fife
 39
 2
 41


 Glasgow
 91
 25
 116


 Highland
 0
 0
 0


 Inverclyde
 0
 0
 0


 Moray
 5
 0
 5


 Midlothian
 3
 0
 3


 North Ayrshire
 15
 0
 15


 North Lanarkshire
 89
 12
 101


 Orkney
 0
 0
 0


 Perth and Kinross
 12
 0
 12


 Renfrewshire
 46
 9
 55


 Scottish Borders
 20
 1
 21


 Shetland
 7
 0
 7


 South Ayrshire
 33
 2
 35


 South Lanarkshire
 46
 3
 49


 Stirling
 4
 0
 4


 West Dunbartonshire
 22
 1
 23


 West Lothian
 26
 4
 30


 Totals
 710
 78
 788

Student Finance

Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it can take to influence the rules governing the repayment of student loans to the Student Loans Company.

Angela Constance: The Scottish Government must liaise with the other three countries of the UK in respect of issues relating to the repayment of student loans. This is because the rules around the repayment of student loans are governed by UK legislation. Details can be found in The Education (Student Loans) (Repayment) Regulations 2009.

  Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) operates the student loan collection system on behalf of the four countries in the UK.

Vaccinations

Jim Tolson (Dunfermline West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what the uptake of the flu vaccination has been by at-risk groups in each of the last five years, broken down by NHS board.

Shona Robison: Seasonal flu vacine uptake for those aged under 65 in the clinical at risk groups has continued to rise each year across Scotland. The 2010-11 figures are provisional uptake figures until 9 January and the final uptake figure will continue to rise as people still present for vaccination until the end of the vaccination programme. Uptake over the past five years broken down by health board can be seen in the following table. Data was unavailable for three health boards for 2009-10.

  

 
 2006-07
 2007-08
 2008-09
 2009-10#
 2010-11*


 Ayrshire and Arran
 36.90%
 44.70%
 49.19%
 46.15
 49


 Borders
 36.90%
 49.80%
 50.94%
 60.73
 56.2


 Dumfries and Galloway
 36.90%
 41.40%
 46.34%
 51.42
 50.8


 Fife
 39.70%
 42.60%
 46.10%
 52.51
 48.4


 Forth Valley
 44.00%
 50.10%
 53.66%
 57
 53.3


 Grampian
 37.60%
 44.40%
 47.34%
 NULL
 52.3


 Greater Glasgow and Clyde
 41.10%
 45.20%
 48.35%
 54.89
 49.4


 Highlands
 34.30%
 45.10%
 47.31%
 51.41
 51.5


 Lanarkshire
 35.60%
 40.50%
 46.87%
 52.22
 48.2


 Lothian
 36.00%
 43.90%
 48.16%
 53.23
 49.3


 Orkney
 70.00%
 65.80%
 59.32%
 NULL
 50


 Shetland
 37.90%
 49.90%
 45.26%
 51.14
 48


 Tayside
 38.60%
 43.50%
 45.01%
 NULL
 49


 Western Isles
 41.50%
 42.40%
 42.72%
 56.52
 49.8


 Scotland
 37.80%
 44.40%
 47.79%
 53.28
 50.3



  Source NSS PSD 2006-2009 & HPS 2010 to date.

  Notes:

  *Figures for 2010-11 are provisional and to week ending 9 January 2011.

  #Data unavailable in those NHS boards that had no GPASS practices.

  Jim Tolson (Dunfermline West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what the uptake of the flu vaccination has been by older people in each of the last five years, broken down by NHS board.

Shona Robison: Seasonal flu vaccine uptake for those aged 65 and over for the period of the last five years can be seen in the following table. The 2010-11 figures are provisional uptake figures until 9 January and the final uptake figure will continue to rise as people still present for vaccination until the end of the vaccination programme.

  

Health Board
2006-07
2007-08
2008-09
2009-10
2010-11*


Ayrshire and Arran
75.73%
72.61%
76.91%
72.84
73.4


Borders
78.62%
77.77%
78.74%
77.96
76.3


Dumfries and Galloway
75.49%
74.62%
76.13%
75.52
71.9


Fife
76.88%
76.00%
77.80%
76.05
73.2


Forth Valley
78.93%
77.72%
79.16%
79.22
74.7


Grampian
73.86%
72.99%
76.42%
75.03
73.5


Greater Glasgow and Clyde
75.03%
74.99%
75.48%
75.36
71.3


Highlands
74.89%
72.90%
74.25%
72.13
70.5


Lanarkshire
71.85%
71.47%
73.36%
72.68
68.4


Lothian
77.83%
76.96%
78.79%
77.61
73.8


Orkney
74.38%
78.30%
76.49%
75.78
74.6


Shetland
75.33%
75.43%
77.61%
73.39
71.5


Tayside
74.46%
74.75%
76.02%
73.65
73


Western Isles
62.04%
63.06%
64.88%
64.69
63.7


Scotland
75.16%
74.27%
76.32%
75.02
72.3



  Source: NSS PSD 2006-2009 and HPS 2010 to date.

  Note: *Figures for 2010-11 are provisional and to week ending 9 January 2011.